Anxiety, depression, and quality of life in mothers of newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit: A follow-up study from birth to the first two years of life

There is evidence that the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) environment can have a negative impact on maternal psychological well-being, especially in low- and middle-income settings. However, most studies on distress and quality of life in mothers of newborns who needed intensive medical care have measured patient-centered outcomes at only one time-point. Here, we evaluated the levels of anxiety, depression, and quality of life in mothers of newborns admitted to the NICU with follow-up throughout the first 2 years of the child's life. We performed a longitudinal study in a region with the worst socioeconomic indicators in Brazil. We included mothers who had newborns admitted to the NICU. Our primary outcome of interest was quality of life, as measured by the WHOQOL-BREF instrument. Secondary endpoints included anxiety levels (Spielberger's State-Trace Anxiety Inventory) and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory). Fifty-four mothers were included. During the first 48 h after NICU admission, the median quality of life score was 62.5 (IQR 56.3–68.8), and severe levels of state anxiety were observed in 61.1% of mothers. A positive relationship was observed between levels of state anxiety (p = 0.003), depressive symptoms (p < 0.001), and length of stay in the NICU. A significant improvement in the mothers' global quality of life score was observed only 12 months after the child's birth, which remained unchanged at the 24-month assessment. Our findings suggested that the admission of newborns to the NICU may have a long-term impact on maternal mental health.